


Stutter

by MeredithBrody



Category: Designated Survivor (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 18:46:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12282315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeredithBrody/pseuds/MeredithBrody
Summary: Seth comes across a very embarrassed new member of the White House staff.





	Stutter

**Author's Note:**

> So here I am folks, and I'm trying out a new fandom (no surprise, it has Zoe McLellan in it… shush.) This is just a little thing, and I hope you all enjoy it. It's set after the scene of Kendra being offered the job. It came to my mind last night and it's just so cute! Thanks!  
> Shin xx

Seth was so used to walking around this building and seeing people talk to themselves. Normally it was staff, though. Seeing a visitor doing it was more surprising. Given this was a visitor outside the oval, he was going to assume that this was the lawyer Aaron had recommended for a job. Of course, any woman stood there clearly berating herself about something that she'd done, or maybe not done. He really hoped that she hadn't turned down the job, he was getting fed up of having to talk to 50 different lawyers to get something done. "I can't believe I did that. Stupid, Kendra, stupid!"

"What did you do?" He maybe shouldn't have intruded, should have let her continue berating herself alone and moved on from that point, but it seemed nicer to interrupt her than watch her spend so long telling herself off. "If it's not fatal, I wouldn't be too hard on yourself." That was his only way of convincing himself that he was still doing good work. Or at least, that he was trying to.

"Oh, I…" She paused, looking up then smiling a little more. Clearly torn between embarrassment and relief at someone speaking to her. That made him even more interested about what had actually gone on. At least she seemed happy if mortified. That gave him hope that she had taken the job. "Word vomit, you know?"

"First meeting with the president alone?" He knew that it was, but that wasn't actually going to stop him asking. He knew that he needed to tell her who she was in the most professional way that he could and act as though they didn't all kind of know each other by name at the very least. "Seth Wright, press secretary."

"Kendra Daynes… I guess I'm White House Counsel now." She didn't sound entirely comfortable introducing herself that way, but as she'd been officially there for all of three minutes he wasn't going to judge her too harshly for that. He was really just going to continue being thankful for everything that it meant. He wasn't going to have one person he could go to for legal advice.

He wasn't going to say that to her when she barely knew him at all, though she had one of those faces that made you want to open up to her. That no doubt helped when you were a lawyer. Reading her history she'd always been a constitutional lawyer, so maybe it wasn't as needed for them. "He's finally filled that role? Great."

"How did you know it was my first time?" Well, in a different context that would be a very different question, but he was purposefully not going to let himself think about that, even though making one of his terrible jokes about it was far too easy.

"You have that look on your face. I'm fairly sure mine was similar." His first meeting with President Kirkman had actually been a complete disaster, and he was still embarrassed when he thought about it sometimes. Maybe telling that story would at least make Kendra feel more comfortable, and let her know that almost everyone had the same reaction the first time they met the president.

"What did you do?" She was slightly hesitant, and he smiled before nodding toward the East entrance, where no doubt she'd go through security before leaving. How did he explain what had happened? Given it was the night of the Capitol bombing his would probably be forgiven easier than even her's, but Kirkman wasn't one to remember these things longer than the moment they happened anyway.

"Well, I listened to him throw up, then I talked about how I thought he was going to be terrible at this and I wanted to run to Canada." That was definitely something that he regretted now. The night of the bombing though he'd suddenly gone from junior staffer to a senior official and a member of the presidential staff in 30 seconds.

"How did he react?" Kendra was still hesitant, and that made Seth smile a little more. Clearly, she was worried about whether her reaction to his job offer was going to taint her relationship with him. Seth thought he knew the president fairly well by now, and he could say that probably nothing that she did was going to change his mind at all.

"Probably the same way he did to you." Seth wanted to know, but he had also seen the president in hundreds, if not thousands, of situations and he always reacted the same way. So he was fairly sure that he was right, and that it would further help her realise that she was going to be among friends no matter what she did.

"Laugh, shake his head then reassure you that you're still who he wants in the job?" She said, still managing to have that terrified questioning inflection at the end of the question. He'd been right and, given Kendra's reactions, it was no doubt something that Kirkman had either found endearing or hilarious.

"Exactly that." He confirmed, stepping into the lobby with her, much quieter than it was during the day. It was nice that he was the one meeting her first, and letting her know that they would all get to know each other quite quickly. " Welcome to the family, Kendra."

"Thank you." She grinned a little, and obviously now that the embarrassment was fading off she was happy and excited. That would soon pass, he was sure. Being entirely overworked and never sleeping was going to become her norm very soon, and that was where it stopped being quite so fun. "I've probably got a steep learning curve."

"Probably, but you'll get there." He was confident about that. Aaron couldn't stop singing her praises after seeing her in court, and he says that  _she_  had actually been the one to solve their problems, he'd just passed the message along. "And you can always come and ask me for help. Not about legal stuff, that's your job. I can tell you where everything is and who everyone is."

"Thanks. Well… I should get home and call my mom about the new job." She handed her visitors pass to security, and Seth made a mental note to check her staff pass was there for her to pick up when she came in the morning. It wouldn't do for her to have to hang around on the first day. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Great, have a good night." He replied, watching her off before smiling to himself. He was actually thrilled to see that she was so happy about joining the White House's de facto family. They weren't very traditional, but they were the only ones who knew what this felt like. They were a family, for better or worse. It was going to be interesting to see where she fit herself.


End file.
